The Dutchess County Legislature may consider censuring Legislator Joe Incoronato, R-Wappinger, following an email exchange between Incoronato and a county resident over sexual assault remarks.

The email exchange regarded comments the legislator made in June of 2016, in which he said women become more susceptible to sexual assaults when they are under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

After the recent email exchange, Legislature Chairman Dale Borchert, R-LaGrange, condemned Incoronato's statements, and Incoronato apologized, saying his comments were a "poor or misleading use of language" that may have "erroneously or unwittingly implied that women were somehow responsible" in instances of rape.

Borchert said the Republican majority will hold a caucus meeting Tuesday night to determine if a censure should take place.

On Sept. 12, Staatsburg resident Robert Dorn emailed the County Legislature, taking issue with statements made by Incoronato during a June 9, 2016 legislature meeting. Dorn said Incoronato stated during the meeting that women can "induce" a sexual attack by drinking or taking drugs, and that women should be aware of the type of attire they choose to wear.

Dorn said he recently saw an anonymous article about Incoronato’s statements on the Daily Kos, a liberal national group blog and internet forum. Dorn said he responds “to anything that’s offensive and unnecessary.” The article was published Sept. 3.

Incoronato said his statements on June 9 of last year occurred during a discussion with a coordinator for the county’s Sexual Assault Response Team about rape when drugs and alcohol are involved.

In an interview with the Journal, Incoronato said he suggested that “statistics should be compiled on assaults induced by alcohol or drug intoxication to emphasize that such circumstances often impair a woman’s ability to mentally or physically resist sexual predators.”

In his emailed response to Dorn, Incoronato said “You are correct in the first statement that you attribute to me, that …if you've had a drink or taken drugs and get raped that you may have ‘induced’ the attack.”

The email went on to say if “a female is unconscious or semiconscious because of being under the influence of a drug or alcohol, her physical or mental state has been impaired. And therefore, her ability to resist sexual or other assault has been diminished. So to the extent a woman is thereby incapacitated, it should even be apparent to you that she is making herself susceptible to potential rapists.”

Incoronato told the Journal that during the meeting, he expressed that when victims lose awareness, or even consciousness because of abusing alcohol or drugs, that “bad things such as sexual assault can occur,” and that a weakened state may be an “unintended factor that encourages rapists to take advantage of the situation.” He said it was a warning he gave his four daughters “when they were growing up and starting to socialize.

“I believe most folks with plain common sense would understand this sort of connection where inebriation puts women at risk,” Incoronato said. “However, my comments also emphasized that rape was inexcusable under any circumstances. Surely, my statements were not intended, nor should they be erroneously interpreted, as an alibi for rapists.”

Minority Leader Micki Strawinski, D-Red Hook, provided the Journal with a copy of the email exchange.

Borchert said he emailed Dorn and Incoronato, as well as the rest of the legislature, condemning Incoronato’s response.

“Let me be perfectly clear, there is no excuse for rape. When a person is sexually assaulted, there is one and only one person who is to blame, and that is the rapist. Legislator Incoronato’s most recent comments, sadly, demonstrate that he does not understand this,” Borchert said in the email.

The email continued: “The mere suggestion that an victim’s attire, state of inebriation, or any external factor for that matter contributed to their assault is offensive to every instinct I possess.”

Borchert went on to say that Incoronato’s comments “undermined the work” the county and legislature has done to improve services for sexual assault victims and efforts to reduce the number of assaults, and said it was incumbent upon Incoronato to apologize for the statement.

Incoronato sent another email on Sept. 14.

“I wish to apologize if my poor or misleading use of language during last year’s legislative discussion of sexual assault erroneously or unwittingly implied that women were somehow responsible for these reprehensible types of attacks,” Incoronato wrote. “Clearly, these sorts of heinous crimes against females are unequivocally and solely the despicable acts of sexual predators. Therefore, I again express my profound and sincere regrets to any and all individuals who have been offended by my past remarks.”

Dorn said Incoronato’s apology was “a contradiction of everything he said before.

“I didn’t expect to hear from (Borchert). He didn’t suggest anything else to happen. We want more. By we, I mean the people,” Dorn said. “Two members of my family were raped when I was young. That affects the family.”

Incoronato told the Journal he offers his sincere apologies to any individuals who believe his views are offensive or inappropriate.

Now, Borchert said it is up to the legislature to determine if there will be a censure.

“He has apologized,” Borchert said. “Comparing it to the (Legislator) Joel Tyner situation this year – we kept asking him to apologize. Apologize, apologize, apologize. He continued to refuse to do so.”

Tyner, D-Clinton and Rhinebeck, was censured in July. During a Democratic caucus meeting June 5, Tyner suggested that county public works Commissioner Robert Balkind was "following orders ... just like the Germans 70 years ago." The comments were made in reference to the then-planned consolidation of bus services in the City of Pougkeepsie, and drew rebukes from county officials and members of the Democratic caucus. Balkind is of Jewish descent.

Borchert said the Republican majority will hold a caucus meeting next week to discuss if the situation has risen to the level where a censure of Incoronato is the appropriate course of action.

Tyner believes Incoronato should be censured, and the fact that he has not been "shows hypocrisy."

Regarding the comments he was censured for, Tyner said, "I said what I said in defense of people with disabilities and people of color, about the illegal county bus takeover. Incoronato attacked and blamed women, disgustingly linking rape to what they drink."

Incoronato said he finds it concerning that statements from over a year ago were brought now, despite there being many legislative meetings where it could have been addressed. He believes it is an effort to “unjustly censure” him, he said – an effort carried out by “allies of Joel Tyner who are hungering to avenge his recent censure.”